Generally, electrical connectors include a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals for making electrical connection between a pair of electrical devices. For instance, an electrical connector may interconnect a conductor of an electrical wire to a circuit trace on a printed circuit board. Electrical connectors have been provided in a myriad of designs and constructions.
The electrical terminals of such connectors also are provided in a myriad of different configurations. For instance, every terminal must have a contact portion or portions for engaging the electrical device or devices to which the terminal is terminated or between which the terminal is interconnected. For instance, the contact portion may be a flexible spring contact arm. The terminal most often includes a base portion which is provided for mounting the terminal in the connector housing. The terminal may include a latching portion for retaining the terminal in the housing. The terminal may include a tail portion projecting from the housing. Quite often, the terminal includes a portion that is engageable by an insertion tool for inserting the terminal into the housing. All of these various components of electrical terminals must be considered in designing a particular electrical connector, and the sheer number of such components or portions of the terminal constantly create problems in electrical connector design.
For instance, in the every-increasing miniaturization of electrical connectors for compact design of electronic apparatus, the connectors and, in turn, the terminals must be provided in smaller and smaller design envelopes. Critical portions of the terminal, such as the contact portions thereof, end up being located very near the mating face or the terminating face of the connector housing itself. Therefore, it is desirable, and the present invention is directed, to providing components of an electrical terminal that can perform dual functions, such as the functions described above.
In addition, the present invention is directed to a unique combination of a connector housing which is surface mounted on a printed circuit board to allow "over-insertion" of a conductor through the housing and into the printed circuit board.